Normally, coaches get on a team and try to build a team based on their scheme, slowly picking up personnel to match the scheme, but doing it with “goat wisdom”, that is, adjusting the scheme for current players that can’t keep up or need time.

This Lions team just out and out instituted and sold out to two entirely new (okay, so the defensive scheme wasn’t totally new) schemes on offense and defense.  The problem is that they have no accounting for current players.  Just because someone played Tampa 2 once in their pop warner team does not mean that the scheme works.  An old Brian Kelly or young Travis Fisher playing in a known scheme doesn’t make up for the talent of Dre’ Bly.  Thanks for that Millen, you a***ole.

In fact, players perform WORSE in a scheme they are not suited/intelligent/physically fit enough for, please see George Foster for an example of idiocy meeting zone blocking.

They are forcing a round peg into a square hole with their ill-conceived indoctrination.  It is hurting the talented role-players like Sims, who get knocked around without cause, and the skill players like Roy Williams, who is shades of Barry Sanders, i.e. wasted, wasted talent.  Did anyone see Roy’s face during that game, juxtaposed by his catch that only three or four other receivers in the NFL could have made?

Now, rather than needing a couple of years of good trades and drafts after Millen, they are dooming the Lions to another five years to a decade of despair.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

If you get thrashed by Atlanta, 0-16 has to be legitimate possibility.  I’ve been blaming Millen for this debacle for a long time, but Marinelli’s finger prints are all over this roster now.  These two need to be fired.

The most frustrating thing is that Marinelli seems to think desire wins football games.  Turns out, it’s talent.  Who knew?